So, looking ahead....what's our off season going to look like? Coaches and GM all still under contract, right? Players? Who's going to the NFL? Who do we think might bolt in FA? Pieces that we'd like to see the WBB pick up in FA? 

Edited January 10, 20224 yr by Noeller

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

Harris also has a big edge in experience reading blocking and picking up blitzes. He is a darned good receiver, too. Regardless, the day must come when Harris' performance will degrade to where he cannot compete any more. I hope that he and the Bombers can ease him out gracefully and with his participation.

The way Harris played when he came back,dude could've still hit 1000 yards,even at his age this is a hard decision.

9 minutes ago, Nolby said:

The way Harris played when he came back,dude could've still hit 1000 yards,even at his age this is a hard decision.

I don't think it is in my opinion. Give him 150 and call it square. In this situation in particular we have to actually watch his play drop off before deciding to move forward. 

The Year off in '20 and missing a lot of last year.... There's less miles on his body than normal for an RB his age. I think he can still get it done, but as has been said, it should be on a team friendly deal. 

Delete. 

Edited February 4, 20224 yr by Noeller

2 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Delete. 

So I saw your post. You don't get to run from that. Irresponsible media trying to be first rather than fact checking.

13 minutes ago, Noeller said:

The Year off in '20 and missing a lot of last year.... There's less miles on his body than normal for an RB his age. I think he can still get it done, but as has been said, it should be on a team friendly deal. 

What would you consider a team friendly deal?

 

 

So, since I heard the news today that AH said that there are no formal talks going on to sign him, I think I figured out the end game here. It's not about keeping Brady Oliviera or AH. Instead it's about keeping Harris or Kenny Lawler & about having the money to sign the receiver. Our offense isn't as run heavy under Buck as it was under LaPo. Zach doesn't check down like Nichols did. He likes to stretch the field. We can get by without Harris but we need a dynamic receiver like Lawler. We need him as a deep ball playmaker for Collaros. As much as we'd all like to keep AH, I think it'll be impossible, unfortunately. 

10 minutes ago, Noeller said:

 

 

Is your source on this reliable?

13 minutes ago, Noeller said:

 

 

Man,this will be tough,gotta think it'll be Ottawa or Sask......PUKE

Edited February 4, 20224 yr by Nolby

Well I think it’s likely Harris was going to have to take a major pay cut but I don’t blame him for not doing that. He’s 35 and like only has another 1-2 years left. If a team like Ottawa or BC could offer him the big money he was making with Winnipeg when we signed him I can’t really fault him. Really hate to see this but ultimately football is a business for both players and teams alike. 

Its a tough decision. Its probably best for both parties if he moves on. Because he deserves to get paid and Brady deserves a larger role and more money as well.  I wouldn't like it if we just had Harris and Augustine with an age combination of 63. 

Just now, Colin Unger said:

Its a tough decision. Its probably best for both parties if he moves on. Because he deserves to get paid and Brady deserves a larger role and more money as well.  I wouldn't like it if we just had Harris and Augustine with an age combination of 63. 

The running back spot can be easily flipped to an American position if they had to. But it does give us a flexibility that other teams don't have. 

Just now, SpeedFlex27 said:

The running back spot can be easily flipped to an American position if they had to. But it does give us a flexibility that other teams don't have. 

Don't see why would would want to do that when we've been drafting and developing that as a Canadian position. 

I hope he just retires and ends his career with this dream ending but it sounds like he won't be.

I feel like we're witnessing the beginning of the end of our memorable run. Was too good to be true.... Now things start to tumble. 

7 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I feel like we're witnessing the beginning of the end of our memorable run. Was too good to be true.... Now things start to tumble. 

Ok, man, back away from the cliff.

4 minutes ago, Noeller said:

I feel like we're witnessing the beginning of the end of our memorable run. Was too good to be true.... Now things start to tumble. 

This is laughable. Come on man.

I’m a huge Andrew Harris guy. Turned this whole franchise around for us. Ring of Honour, Hall of Fame, statue out front of IGF, do it all for the guy. He deserves that and so much more.

He’s also more or less finished. He’s at the end of a great career. Does he have something left in the tank? I don’t doubt it for a second, but there’s a reason the great teams are the teams that are a year early on these decisions instead of a year late. Harris is going to be 35 at the start of camp, he could barely practice last year, he’s becoming progressively more and more beat up and he can’t really be a full time back anymore. Had a hell of a run in the playoffs after taking a huge chunk of the year off and having a year off before that to heal up. How is it going to work for him when he doesn’t have the benefit of those variables?

I hope we find a way to keep him, but he’s not the pulse of this offence anymore. He didn’t suit up for us for more than 4 games in a row last year. His playoff run was extraordinary, but let’s be honest with what it was. Those are conditions where you have to pound the rock and Hamilton/Saskatchewan were both missing good pieces of their run stopping D. He was coming off a ton of rest. That can’t be a long term solution for us and we have to look to keep this team together in ways where it leads to sustainable success. A 35 year old running back who probably doesn’t want to take the pay cut we’d need him to take may just not be an answer for us.

 

48 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

The running back spot can be easily flipped to an American position if they had to. But it does give us a flexibility that other teams don't have. 

We still have 4 Canadian running backs if they re-sign Oliviera (I’m counting Demski here) so we still have tons of flexibility that other teams don’t have. The one issue another team may have in signing Harris is that he takes up a starting Canadian spot, so if he gets hurt then the team must replace him with another Canadian, and no other team has the luxury of another quality Canadian RB like we do. Could actually make him less valuable elsewhere. Also, with his age and passport, would be surprised to see another team drop a bundle on him when a younger, cheaper American tailback would be easy to pluck from the college system. Unless of course his full skill set of running, receiving and pass blocking was exploited by a coach who knows how to maximize his talents and would be able to build an offence around him rather than loading up on receivers. Now which team/coach fits that description?  Hmmmm……….

5 minutes ago, TrueBlue4ever said:

We still have 4 Canadian running backs if they re-sign Oliviera (I’m counting Demski here) so we still have tons of flexibility that other teams don’t have. The one issue another team may have in signing Harris is that he takes up a starting Canadian spot, so if he gets hurt then the team must replace him with another Canadian, and no other team has the luxury of another quality Canadian RB like we do. Could actually make him less valuable elsewhere. Also, with his age and passport, would be surprised to see another team drop a bundle on him when a younger, cheaper American tailback would be easy to pluck from the college system. Unless of course his full skill set of running, receiving and pass blocking was exploited by a coach who knows how to maximize his talents and would be able to build an offence around him rather than loading up on receivers. Now which team/coach fits that description?  Hmmmm……….

LaPo will jump to get him. 

58 minutes ago, Colin Unger said:

Don't see why would would want to do that when we've been drafting and developing that as a Canadian position. 

Just saying that it can be flipped if it had to. Not that it will. Lots of good FA American running backs out there.

Edited February 4, 20224 yr by SpeedFlex27

I'm confused by Noeller and few others.....

Stupid BC for spending $250 000 on a receiver with only one break out season and with the team already having 2 great receivers in Burnham and Whitehead.  

Same person:

Stupid Winnipeg for not spending $200 000 + for Andrew Harris who is older and coming off injury plague season despite having Johnny Augustine and "potentially" Brady Oliveria who both are fully capable at doing a great job at RB.   

 

Don't get me wrong Harris is awesome and can still contribute... I don't see him as a full time back anymore and if we are limited on dollars to spend I'd rather those bigger dollars go to Stove or Alexander.   You never over pay at RB/WR as they are a dime a dozen to recruit and put in.      Ideally Harris comes back on a reduced workload and maybe they can be creative and give him a handshake deal where he's the RB coach after he retires.  

50 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Same person:

Stupid Winnipeg for not spending $200 000 + for Andrew Harris who is older and coming off injury plague season

where has this been said? show me one instance. 

37 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

where has this been said? show me one instance. 

Go back 2 - 3 pages and read?   

Bad optics on the team ,  team having to do the right thing,   Harris HAS to come back etc..... 

 

Regardless what Harris does, he'll end up retiring a Bomber. His best years were here. If he does play out his last few years somewhere else, I dont blame him for a second.

Dude has bills to pay and a family to feed. Hope they can find a way to retain him without breaking the bank, but even last year he was absent for alot of games.

Harris is the best RB in Bomber history. He deserves another contract. That being said if the reports are true that he came in out of shape last year and not ready to play then he needs to consider that as well. I am sure the Bombers have asked him to take a cut, maybe not officially, but certainly unofficially. If Harris wants to be a Bomber I am sure he can be. The ball is in his court but by all accounts the big payday here is gone for him, and it sure sounds like this was at least partially his own doing. I wish him well if he wants to chase the pay day and I am sure Lapo has 20 touches a game reserved for him in Ottawa. We will be fine without him. FIFO.

Edited February 4, 20224 yr by GCn20